FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Free showing of the film DENIAL at the JCC on Tuesday, February 20th at 7pm— open to all.

January 18, 2018, Tucson, AZ – Jewish Family & Children’s Services of Southern Arizona (JFCS) is the proud sponsor of a free public showing of Denial starring and Tom Wilkinson with the screenplay by David Hare to be held on Tuesday, February 20, 2018 at 7pm at the JCC, 3800 E. River Rd., Tucson.

The film Denial recounts the true story of Dr. , a professor of Holocaust Studies at in who was sued for libel in a British court by the infamous Holocaust denier, . After a riveting 10-week trial that attracted worldwide attention, the judge ruled in favor of Dr. Lipstadt, and found Irving to be a racist, falsifier of history, and anti-Semite. The London Times, in referring to this case, wrote “history has had its day in court and scored a crushing victory.”

In a collaborative effort between Tucson Hebrew Academy, Jewish History Museum, Jewish Community Center, and Jewish Family & Children’s Services, local area middle school and high school students will have the opportunity to view Denial during an educational event at the JCC from 9am to 1:30pm on the same day as the evening show. Guided discussions on the historical and current-day issues of anti-Semitism, racism, hate crimes, bullying, mob violence, etc. will involve the participation of teachers, history facilitators, as well as Tucson-based Holocaust survivors. The JCC is located at 3800 E. River Rd., Tucson, AZ 85718. Media outlets are encouraged to contact Liz Hernandez for more information (see below).

"There are facts, there are opinions, and there are lies," states Dr. Deborah Lipstadt, the renowned Holocaust scholar (played by Rachel Weisz). A Dorot Professor of Modern Jewish History and Holocaust Studies at Emory University, frequent newspaper and journal contributor, and author of several books including the award-winning, History on Trial: My Day in Court with a Holocaust Denier (Harper Collins, 2006) on which the film Denial is based, Dr. Lipstadt adds, “And most importantly, truth and fact are under assault. The job ahead of us, the task ahead of us, the challenge ahead of us is great. The time to fight is short. We must act now. Later will be too late.”

Related information

JFCS is honored to have Dr. Deborah Lipstadt as the keynote speaker at the 9th Annual Celebration of Caring to be held on Sunday, April 8, 2018 at the Westin La Paloma in Tucson. https://jfcstucson.org/donate/celebration-of-caring/

Dr. Lipstadt’s superb Ted Talk recounts the meaningful lessons learned from her research: https://www.ted.com/talks/deborah_lipstadt_behind_the_lies_of_holocaust_denial

Article on Dr. Lipstadt: https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/lipstadt-deborah

For more information on these events, and to schedule interviews, please contact: Liz Hernández, JFCS Director of Marketing & Development Main: (520) 795-0300; Direct: (520) 209-2438 Email: [email protected] Website: www.jfcstucson.org

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